As the UK animation industry prepares to welcome in the new Animation Series Tax Break, Children’s Media Conference (CMC) has announced the CMC Animation Exchange – a one-day event that will explore its implications for UK animation producers and their international partners.

The event, which will be held on 4 April at the BIS Conference Centre in Westminster, will dissect the various elements of the tax incentive, such as how to qualify, how to account, how to work with funding bodies and broadcasters, and how it will affect foreign partners – such as co-producers.

Oli Hyatt, Chair of Animation UK, will open the event. Hyatt played a central role in lobbying for the tax break alongside Miles Bullough, Tony Collingwood (Collingwood O Hare) and Mike Watts (Novel and Pact), who will also be leading some of the day’s sessions. They will be joined by a host of expert speakers, including Sarah Muller (CBBC), Jonathan Berger (Harbottle & Lewis), Liz Brion (Grant Thornton), Irene Weibel (Nelvana Studio), Canada), Mark Dhrami (Alphanim, France), Kate O’Connor (Creative Skillset) and Rosemary Klein (Rights TV).

Greg Childs, Editorial Director of CMC, said “The new tax incentive is already proving a winning formula to re-stimulate interest in the UK animation sector as it becomes more cost effective in a highly competitive international environment. This event will explain everything UK animation producers and their international partners need to know in order to take full advantage of it.”

The next major date in the CMC calendar is the annual Children’s Media Conference which will take place on 3 – 5 July 2013. The CMC is the premier conference in the UK dedicated to supporting children’s media both in the UK and internationally. This year will see the extension of the CMC International Exchange, an event designed to welcome buyers, co-producers, commissioners and investors from various selected territories to meet UK companies and freelancers with content or services to sell – or who are looking for investment.

Source: Children’s Media Conference

Jennifer Wolfe is Director of News & Content at Animation World Network.